The Price of Entry

This is an excerpt from an awesome interview/discussion between smashLAB's Eric Karjaluoto and Blair Enns, founder of Win Without Pitching.

Eric: Every industry has its clichés. Tell me about the blunders that most creative companies unwittingly make that limit them.

Blair: Thinking that they can fake deep expertise across an impractically wide area. Thinking that they are in the service business. Thinking that they cannot let an opportunity pass them by. Thinking that they can win business by compromising their principles then somehow fixing it later. Thinking that their firm is somehow exempt from the laws of supply and demand economics. Thinking that they’re not really in it for the money.

Eric: Are there any marketing catch-phrases and terms used by designers that you’d like to see bombed to Oblivion?

Blair: I hate the word ‘branding’ as a claim of expertise. An expert is someone who has a deeper knowledge of the subject than others trading in the area. I wonder if there’s even such thing as a branding expert. There are just too many people in it and very, very few that have meaningful knowledge that others do not. A designer claiming expertise in branding is like a fish claiming expertise in swimming. It’s not expertise; it’s the price of entry.

Exactly. Some really nice insight and wisdom in this piece - continue reading here if you agree and want to learn more or here if you already know it all...

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Blair Enns, founder of the Win Without Pitching movement and a business development adviser to marketing communication agencies and Eric Karjaluoto from smashLab.

Ponder This

Persistence

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

– Calvin Coolidge

That's Right,

HMK

Up The Downturn Starts Now!

"Go ahead. Cut your marketing budget when things get tough.

I get it.

That's like saying: 'I’ll throw some logs on that fire when it warms up in here." Chris Lochhead

Up the downturn: How to survive in tough economic times.

Christopher Lochhead, the former chief marketing officer at Scient and Mercury, offers his advice on how companies can do more than pray for survival in a prolonged economic downturn.

It's easy to be great when things are going great. The real test of leadership is who are you when things are tough. Leaders take market share in bad times, and losers lose share, money, and market cap.

We seem to be heading into a multi-quarter (or maybe longer) downturn. Planning for a long downturn is the right approach, even if you think this is just a blip.

Strategy 1: Don't Cut The Budget.

The first thing scared executives do in bad times is cut spending. It's easy. But often completely wrong. J. Paul Getty said, "Buy when everyone is selling. And hold until everyone is buying."

Downturns are time to invest in:

New Technology
New Marketing Campaigns
New People (hire the best salespeople, product developers, etc. from your competitors, especially those doing layoffs and missing their quarterly numbers)
New Products
New Companies (buy or start some)

Head on over to CNET. For the details on Strategy 2: If you have to cut, DO IT FAST. DO IT ONCE. and Strategy 3: Put Your Best People On Your Biggest Project.

Sounds like great news if you're one of the best at what you do and lucky enogh to have a smart employer that recognizes you as an asset.

After almost twenty years in business and being the marketing chief at three public companies, Christopher Lochhead retired at 38. Now, he serves on a few boards and is a part-time strategy advisor. Every year he gives a handful of speeches, and from time to time writes something. Check out Lochhead.com

That's Right,

HMK


Oh, and a great big thank you to Walter Goldstein for the funny cartoon - I found it while breezing through the above book last night.

Good Taste + Time = Quality

Ira Glass, host and brian child of Chicago Public Radio and NPR's This American Life waxes on the work and creativity behind great story telling.

Ideas are funny things. They don't work until you do. Don't quit, keep working, keep making mistakes and keep learning!

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Design Notes.

Because Anybody Can Talk It

The Talk:

The Walk:

Yeah, we've all been there at least once. All the sugar coated pre-gig hype - the awesome vacation time, amazing health insurance, the nurturing work environment, the value of knowledge sharing and team work,and let's not forget the incredible bonuses and raises... Yeah right.

I guess it because of the above that I find this site to be the perfect gallery of visual analogies for all things corporate and Ad Agency related...

After all is said and done there's always so much more said than done: Pundo3000.

Cheers and a Big Gracias to everyone that truly walks it - you know who you are and you Rock!

That's Right

HMK